Aquaculture Operations Manager

Job Details

The Aquaculture Operations Manager leads the propagation of native invertebrate herbivores to restore Caribbean coral reefs. Operating out of land-based facilities and offshore nurseries, this role produces ecologically viable herbivores for outplanting around St. Thomas and St. John, aligning with territorial milestones in the USVI Coral Reef Restoration Plan and partnerships with the National Park Service. Funded through September 30, 2029.

Job Summary

An autonomous, hands-on role directing day-to-day hatchery operations with the support of Conservation Technicians. Oversees modular containerized facilities (20-ft aquaculture container, 40-ft grow-out container), outdoor land-based raceways, and permitted in-water nurseries.

Primary tasks focus on closed-cycle sexual propagation of the keystone long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum) via shaker tables/kreisels, wild recruit capture, and live-feed cultivation (micro- and macroalgae). Additional targets include establishing rearing protocols for other grazers (Tripneustes ventricosus, Lytechinus variegatus, Echinometra viridis, and Maguimithrax spinosissimus).

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Diadema Cultivation & Husbandry: Lead broodstock conditioning, spawning induction, fertilization, larval rearing (shaker tables/kreisels), biofilm/CCA settlement induction, raceway grow-out, and behavioral conditioning (sheltering behavior) for outplanting.
• Multi-Taxa Husbandry: Refine scalable rearing pipelines for secondary urchin species and Caribbean king crabs; develop biosecure habitats suppressing aggression/cannibalism; establish standard feeding and SOP protocols.
• Technician Leadership: Serve as primary technical lead on the hatchery floor; direct and train Conservation Apprentices, Technicians, and interns in biosecurity, water chemistry, live-feeds, and animal handling.
• Facilities & Life Support Systems (LSS): Operate and maintain modular container labs, plumbing, pumps, aeration, UV sterilizers, skimmers, and biofiltration arrays; manage rigorous water quality monitoring protocols.
• Live Feeds Production: Independently maintain starter flasks to scaled microalgae cultures; operate macroalgae culture systems; manage fortified nutritional regimes.
• Field & Restoration Operations: Fabricate and service offshore larval collectors; transition wild recruits into lab raceways; construct in-water enclosures; execute field restocking and benthic corral acclimation. Maintain audit-ready data and assist in grant progress reporting.
• Workplace & Community: Collaborate closely with the Coral Reef Restoration Scientist and Executive Director to hit grant milestones. Support educational tours and outreach lessons when systems are operational.

Requirements

Required:

• B.S. in Aquaculture, Marine Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, or related discipline (or equivalent practical hatchery experience).
• Direct experience culturing marine invertebrates through gamete extraction, fertilization, larval stages, and post-settlement grow-out.
• Proven ability to independently troubleshoot biological, mechanical, and LSS challenges.
• Proficiency in microalgal culture maintenance and sterile laboratory technique.
• Experience with mechanical shaker tables, bottle culture, or planktonic suspension systems.
• Practical aptitude with LSS plumbing, pumps, filtration, and water-testing instrumentation.
• Active SCUBA certification (or ability to certify) and comfort on small field vessels.
• Valid U.S. work authorization and valid U.S. driver's license.

Preferred:

• Direct experience culturing Diadema antillarum, Tripneustes, Echinometra, Lytechinus, or Maguimithrax.
• Field experience servicing moorings, mid-water traps, or underwater nurseries.
• Supervisory/mentorship experience with biological technicians or students.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs (carboys, equipment, feed).
• Comfortable working outdoors in tropical conditions (heat, sun, offshore sea states) and in modular shipping-container labs.
• Regular open-water SCUBA diving for field servicing and outplanting.
• Full-time (40 hrs/wk; typically Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM) with flexibility for off-hour spawning, system alarms, and storm/hurricane preparations.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $55,000 – $75,000/year
• Health: 100% employer-covered health, dental, and vision premiums for employees.
• Retirement: 401(k) with 5% employer contribution.
• Leave: 15 days PTO accrued annually (post-probationary period) + 10 paid organizational holidays.
• Park & Professional Perks: Coral World Ocean Park admission discounts; co-authorship on publications and restoration frameworks.

Contact Information

Application Instructions

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit:

1. Resume / CV: Email to Coral Reef Restoration & Research Scientist Dr. Stephan Bitterwolf (stephan@cwori.org), copying HR (hr@cwori.org) and Executive Director Dr. Paul Jobsis (pjobsis@cwori.org).
2. Email Subject: Aquaculture Operations Manager Application – [Last Name, First Name]
3. Short Answers (~300 words each): Submit directly via our application portal at https://forms.gle/vGobadxZHoUTPZKg7
4. What marine organism have you found most challenging to culture, propagate, or rear through its life cycle? Describe the challenges, the methods you used, the outcome, and the key lessons you learned. If you were unable to achieve successful propagation, what would you do differently in the future?
5. Describe a significant biological, water-quality, equipment, or life-support systems problem you encountered in an aquaculture operation. How did you identify the underlying cause, implement a solution, and evaluate the outcome? What did you learn from the experience?
6. How do you see this role advancing coral reef restoration and community resilience in the USVI, and how will you draw on your past mentorship experiences to train and inspire CWORI's technicians, apprentices, and interns?

• (Three professional references will be requested following the interview phase. CWORI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.)